Vatican dismisses Guardian 'secret property empire' report

22/01/2013

London newspaper exposes real estate bought with Mussolini money

Vatican City, January 22 - The Vatican on Tuesday
dismissed an article published by London's the Guardian
newspaper on its alleged secret property empire as coming from
another world.
"I am amazed by the article in the Guardian, which seems to
come from someone who is among the asteroids," said Vatican
Spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi in response to the article
accusing the papacy of using money originally handed over by
fascist dictator Mussolini in exchange for Vatican recognition
of his regime and offshore tax havens to create an international
portfolio worth £500 million with real estate in the UK, France
and Switzerland.
"These things have been public knowledge for 80 years" as a
result of the 1929 Lateran Pacts regulating relations between
the Italian state and the Roman Catholic Church, the spokesman
added.
On Monday the Guardian printed an article listing elements
of the Vatican's alleged secret commercial property empire
including the premises of Bulgari, the upmarket jewellers in
London's New Bond Street, and the headquarters of the wealthy
investment bank Altium Capital on the corner of St James's
Square and Pall Mall.
It also denounced the apparent "lengths to which the
Vatican has gone to preserve secrecy about the Mussolini
millions".